United folding leg table



May 14, 1957 w. vANGoR UNITED FOLDING LEG TABLE 2 Sheets--Shee- Filed July 6. 1954 Libi INVENTOR WZ Zia/n Vangor' ATTORNEYS May 14, 1957 w. vANGoR UNITED FOLDING LEG TABLE 2 Sheets-Shee; 2

Filed July 6, 1954 INVENTOR l352/17!" '2.7'I L56 United States Patent El This invention relates Vto tables having folding legs, s ,uch asy card tables, which permits the easy storingof the table when it is out of use.

Heretofore, toholdthe legsin extendedpositionbraces or, supports:such as toggle and .link members havevoeen connected to. the legs. and to the table frame `so as `to `,extend substantially. ybelow the marginalportions of the 4table frame. Whenltherlegsarefin extended position, ,thesupp'ortsuare, in full View and detract from the ap- Vpeara'iice of the V tableand occupy the cornerspace be- "tvveen the vrna;rginall frame andfthe leg, andthus limit the legfspacefavailable totpersons 4sitting at ,heta'ole object of the present inventionds to` provide, a

lahatmleni ,19g hardwaref@ slamming im@V less ,in their extended position. which is so constructed that, it will be A entirely.hiddenfrom view in the ,normal position of use of the table.

` Anotherphjectofjhis invention istoprovidelimproved operatingvconnections for eleeting the conjointposiof, al1'v of thelegs of ,the'table tln'oughlmanual 'opergtiond of one of. the" legs.

A featurer of .the present invention ,is `the .provision rof,. rn"ea1 1s fof locking the legs in extendedpositiom .which m nsginelndes a selfacting member Aindividual to eachv leg which, not onlyl .locks the legr against .folding against u the marginal frame of'theta'blelbutalso takes upany lost motion Y.or looseness-tlaat `may-l3-e necessarily ,present to A permit easyoperationpfthe device, combined with means fortmanually` releasing all. ofsaid :individual locking means when any one .ofvthem is, released toallow .all fthe legs to bemoved to. foldedfposition.

" `further feature ofthis invention fistheprovislion Hof: meansfor simultaneously moving all ofthe. legs to Eand from extended positiomlwhichmeans is ,independent off .the locking and nnlocking `means and. .operates inde- 'pendently thereof.

Other features v and advantages will hereinafter appear.

I In the drawings:

Frigure 1 isa bottom planview of, a table1 .made` according to the present invention Witl1 .the.legs in collapsed,

`no nusel position.

Eig. 2 is `anenlarged fragmentary ,bottom planview rof one corner of the table showing .the leg foldedagainst fthe table Itop.

Fig 3 isan enlarged fragmentary cross sectional View .of .lan elevation .of` one corner of` the table withv the leg inf folded position.

Fig. 4is` aviewsimilarto Ythat of Eig. 3 butgwith the leg in extended position.

` Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of .thelockingrneanslin operative position looking in the direction of the arrow ,A of Eig. 4.

lFig.` I6 L is an -enlarged View of ano ther form of a handle 'for actuating the legreleasing means.

.Referring toiles 1f5, the, present, ,im/enti@ is, applied .id a; card table ofthetypewherein the legs fold auto matically within the marginal frame 11 of the table top "Patented l/lay ld, 1357 '12. Each legiJ, .issecured to a metal plate 13-Which is, shaped to partially encompass the top of the leg and has a Ipair of parallel flanges ld extending beyondthe -legs, theportion extending beyond the legs vhaving open- `ings l5 to receive hingepins 16 to attach it to upstanding hinge ears 17a provided on a bracket 17. The bracket i7 fits in the corner formed Vby the adjoining sides lia of themarginal frame fil and is secured thereto by screws ]l7b. The bracket serves as a brace as well as a hinge part Landmounting plate for the leg-folding mechanism.

According to the present invention, each leg ll) has an improved individuallocking mechanismlocated. at each l table corner forposiively locking the Vleg in its extended useposition. `Oneof-such mechanisms will now bede scribed -in detail,itbeingunderstood that the other lock-l ing mechanisms are similar in every-respect.

` As .rshovvn in Figs. 23, 4 andV 5, the bracket l' has a ,.ve rtical.ange 18 to which is attached a cam leverf i9., 20A

Thecam lever,.as shown in Fig. 5, is shaped to provide @substantially straight line camming surface Ztl -anda ,curved .camming surfaceZ, and a lug 22 projecting from the latter.

T helever. 19 ismountedrfor movement about A the. pivot pin, 1,70 and v is .urged into operative `position by means of, a,spring-23 which is connected tothe lever and.is,shaped. to .form a loop .at its otherv end-bearing against a cutfoutfseatprovided inthe vertical angelS of: .the tbraclet.

,The portion .of. the leg-carrying -plate l3- facing the c am leverlgvvhedthedeg isrmoved to extended position A. isprovidedwitha pin/,24 'which is so located thatasthe V,legapproaches its extended-position thepin-ZdA engages .v the .camming surfacedzi)lv andL moves the cam leven-19 about (its, pivot against the action ofthe-spring -23 until the pin 2d is at trheinters ectionrof Ythe'carnming` surfaces A'Z0-and 21,atfwhichgtimethefspring is againyfree to fyieldablyurgeuthe camming surface 2l; against thepin 24 -tomove :the latterand the-leg towhich it isattached ,as yfar as-thelegamaytravel. The cam surfaceZl is `so vfatthat when `engagedywith 'the pim-24 it acts as-fa ibarrieror` lockEagainstanyymovement of :the-'leg away kfrom` extended position.

ln Y order ttor assure that the leg is .perpendicular With lfthevtable, the plate-lSI-isfprovided With-stopnmembers Y,'ZSfvvhich, engage-the'bracket when; the legv isv in-zcom- .p-,pletely extended-position -Withthe'lock ofthe present invention,; the-,stops 25 -will always be in firm coni tact vwith fthefbraeliet; and the ypossibility of a 'wobblyi leg is entirely eliminated because-the springactingonfthe Hcam leverf`19 willv constantly tendto causeV the curved vvcam 2L-to lrnovedheypin 24 and the leg should 'any .trnovementof ftheV leg occur until-the stops 25 areyin 1firmV .engagementvt/ ith7 the bracket.

Itwill thus-be seenthat each leg is `individually locked .in extended positionagainst any perceptible movement by aI lockingdevicewhich automatically completes the .movement ofthe legV toits` Aultimate, perpendicularposition once the leg becomes-proximate its extended position. ThisL is not possible withytogglehraces which as a practicalprnatter 4to .lock mustv be` movedbeyond dead ialso not possible bythe-mere locking of the leg-moving Vvmechanism sincein such case considerable lostmotion is present. Theglegs cannot `lne-rigidly held if-there `be eenterwloo'se motion being unavoidably present. It is such lost-.motion either lbetween the leg and the .locking mechanism or the leg and the lock-actuating mechanism. ln order to releasefthe leg the cam lever 19 andl 13111.24

mustvbedisengaged from each other. To dothis,rthe present inventionprovidesmeans for engaging the cam lever and moving itagainst the tension of the spring2 3 clear,of.the,.leg pin24. As shownfa;releasinglever 26 is secured to the horizontal ange 27 of the bracket 17 about a pivot 28 which is at right angles to the pivot 17e for the cam lever. The lever 26 has an arm 29 provided with a finger 30 to engage the lug 22 on the cam lever 19. When the lever 26 is operated it engages the lug 22 and swings the cam lever entirely clear of the pin 24 so that the leg is then free to be folded against the table top. The lever 26 is mounted for movement about the pivot 28 in the space between the upper end of the leg and the bracket 17, so that the nger moves in the path of movement of the lug 22 of the cam 19.

In order to release the leg from its locked extended position as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the lever 26 is provided with a handle 31 so that it may be manually rotated about its pivot. The handle 31 is located adjacent the marginal frame 11a so that by placing the thumb and fingers, the one on the frame and the other on the handle and squeezing, the handle may be easily operated to release the leg. Upon release of the cam lever after movement of the leg to take the pin 24 out of range thereof, the action of the spring on the cam lever 19 returns it to staring, i. e., ready-to-lock, position, at the same time rotating the lever 26 about its pivot by engagement of the lug 22 with the finger 30, until a liange 32 on the lever 26 engages a stop to limit its movement. As shown, the stop is the upstanding hinge ear 17a of the bracket 17. It' desired, a limiting flange 33 may be provided on the bracket which is so located thereon that when the arm 29 on the lever 26 is in contact therewith the curved camming surface 21 will be outside of the path of movement of the lug 24.

As shown in Fig. 5, the vertical ange 18 may have a clearance opening 34 for the end of the pin 24.

The leg mounting and locking mechanism, as described so far, is complete and operative of itself and a table provided with such mechanism is entirely serviceable, but it would require that each leg be separately released by a manual operation and separately moved by a manual operation between folded and extended positions, not to mention the manipulation of the table to make these repetitions operations reasonable convenient.

Heretofore, in folding tables of the type herein involved, it was proposed to provide means for simultaneously, that is ot say in one operation, moving the legs and unlocking or locking the legs of the table so as to avoid the necessity of individual leg operation and its inconvenience. However, while such proposals have been acceptable and satisfactory for the most part, they have the disadvantage that if the locking means for one of the legs failed to effectively lock its leg against movement, casual or inadvertent movement of that leg, as for instance by a person striking his foot or knee against it, would unlock all the legs and the table would completely collapse with disastrous consequences, especially when the table is supporting liquid refreshments.

To avoid this possibility, the present invention not only provides an individual lock for each leg, but provides one set of means interconnecting the mechanism associated with the legs for solely unlocking the legs and another set of means for solely causing the legs to be moved t o and from extended position simultaneously-provision being made for sutiicient lost motion in the operation of the leg-operating means to permit the individual leg-locking means to perform their functions.

In order to facilitate the unlocking of allpof the legs simultaneously, the release levers 26 are, according to the present invention, provided with interconnecting means, and as shown in Fig. 1, there are interconnecting link members 35, each connected at one end to an adjacent arm 29 and at the other end to an arm 29a on the remote release lever 26, each of which thus functions as a bell crank having arms 29 and 29a. Thus, each release lever moves in unison with the others due to the manual operation of one and each moves its associate cam lever to remove the camming surfaces 21 clear ofthe path of movement of each leg and permits the folding of the leg. j

In the form of the invention illustrated where the releasing levers 26 are interconnected for coordinate movement, each of the releasing levers is provided with a handle 31. Hence, when the table is supported on its edge, which is its usual position when the legs are being unfolded, there will always be one releasing handle at the upper edge of the table. However, should it be desired operating handles on diagonally opposite releasing levers 26 may be omitted, since even then there would always be at least one handle at or near the upper edge of the table for manipulation by the user. Moreover, when the releasing levers are interconnected as shown, all of the releasing handles 31 may be omited, and in such case the releasing levers may be operated by direct manipulation of any of the interconnecting links 35-for instance, by providing on the interconnecting link 35 a handle or extension 35a.

According to the present invention, improved mechanism for effecting conjoint movement of all the legs to and from extended position, comprises pairs of engaging tooth members such as gears operatively connected for coordinate movement so that movement of one of the legs simultaneously moves all of the legs.

As shown, an operating segmental gear 36 is pivotally secured to the horizontal flange 27 of the bracket 17 and is mounted for rotation on the pivot 28 on which the release lever 26 is mounted. The operating gear 36 meshes with an operated gear segment 37 which as shown is pivotally secured to an upstanding flange 38 of the bracket 17, and between the flange and the marginal frame 11a, the bracket having an offset portion 42 to accommodate the gear 37. The operated gear segment 37 has an extension 39 having a pin-and-slot connection with the adjacent leg. As shown the slot 44 is provided in the arm 39 of the gear segment and a pin 41 on the leg slides in the slot.

The operating gears 36 are interconnected by means of links 42, each of which is connected at one end to a pivot pin 43 on an adjacent gear 36 and at the other end on a pivot 44 on a remote gear 36, the gear segments thus functioning as bell cranks for transmitting motion around the corners from one gear to the next causing all of the legs to be operated when any one leg is manually moved. For convenience, the gear segment 36 has been designated as the operating gear and the gear 37 as the operated gear. It will be understood, of course, that the gear 36, which is on the leg being manually moved, becomes on that occasion an operating gear and the gear 37 which it engages becomes an operated gear, all the other gears 36 operating the gears 37 which are connected by pin-andslot connections to the legs.

In operation, there is necessarily some clearance or lost motion between the gear 36 and the gear 37 standing at right angles to it, and also between other parts including the pivot pins and interconnecting links. This lost motion is taken advantage of by the present invention since, by reason of it, the automatic camming action of the locking lever 19 may function to complete the movement of its associated leg regardless of the interconnections between the legs.

From the foregoing description it 'can'be seen that with the leg-attaching means as constructed according to the present invention, none of the operating mechanism extends or projects below the marginal frame of the table, and the table in its in-use position makes a more sightly appearance than those folding tables which utilize mechanism extending below the marginal portion.

Variations and modifications may he made within the scope of the claims and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

1. In a folding table the combination with a top, a top frame and legs movable to extended and retracted positions; a mounting for each leg including a hinge connection between the top and the leg; means locking each legrin extended position againstY movement comprising cooperating members,. oneson. .the leg.v Iand vone Von the frame, one `of; said members .being ya-pin `and .the other a wedging-typecam 4located relatively to be .normally disengaged butto. be brought into cooperation when .the

leg approaches extended-position; fand resilient jmeans.

for pressing said camandpininto :.wedging engagement to force completion of .thecmovemento'f vthe le'g Lto the limit of its extended. position.V7 and lockthe leg in such position.

2. In a folding. table the combination with a top, a top frame and legs :movable to extended and retracted positions; amounting foreach lleg including a hinge connection betweenthe top and the leg; means locking each leg in extended position `againstmovement comprising cooperating members, one on the leg and one onthe frame, one of s aidV members being a pin land the other a wedging-type cam located relatively to be normally disengaged butltombe ,broughtinto...cooperation when the leg approaches extendedpositionpresilient means f-for pressing said cam and'pin'into wedgling engagement to force completion ofthe movementoflthe legl tothe limit of itsv extended position and .the leg in such position;

. and means interconnecting the'A locking means.V of the several legs for'sirrultaneous operation to release each locking means to free the legs for movement away from extended position.

3. In a folding table the combination with a top, a top frame and legs movable to extended and retracted positions; a mounting for each leg including a hinge connection between the top and the leg; locking means individual to each leg for forcing completion of movement of the leg to completely extended position and locking the leg in such position; means interconnecting the locking of the several legs for simultaneous operation to release each locking means to free the legs for movement away from extended position; means interconnecting the legs for simultaneous movement of all the legs when one leg is moved, said leg-interconnecting means including lost motion whereby each leg-locking means is free to operate on its leg regardless of the positions of the other legs.

4. In a folding table the combination with a top, a top frame and legs movable to extended and retracted positions; of a mounting for each leg including a hinge connection between the top and the leg; locking means for each leg including a pivoted cam mounted on said table frame for movement about a horizontal pivot and a lug on the leg positioned to coact with said cam when the leg is in extended position to prevent movement of the leg about the hinge connection; and means for urging the cam to leg-locking position.

5. In a folding table the combination with a top, a top frame and legs movable to extended and retracted positions; of a mounting for each leg including a hinge connection between the top and the leg; locking means for each leg including a pivoted cam mounted on said table frame for movement about a horizontal pivot and a lug on the leg positioned to coact with said cam when the leg is in extended position to prevent movement of the leg about the hinge connection; means for urging the cam to leg-locking position; and manually operable means movable in the plane of the table top for releasing said locking means to permit the leg to be hingedly moved to retracted position.

6. In a folding table the combination with a top, a top frame and legs movable to extended and retracted positions; of a mounting for each leg including a hinge connection between the top and the leg; locking means for each leg including a pivoted cam mounted on said table frame and a lug on the leg positioned to coact with said cam when the leg is in extended position to prevent movement of the leg about the hinge connection; means to move said cam to inoperative position to unlock the leg; and manually operable means including means at eachlegposition to:simultaneously moveY all ofsaid Vcam-moving.means when one of the latter is moved by each leg including a pivoted cam'mounted on said table frame and a lug on therleg positioned to coact with said cam when the leg is in extended position to prevent movement of vthe leg about the hinge connection; means to move' saidfcam to inoperative position to unlock the leg; `andrneansvincluding manuallyroperable means includ- .ingV means at-eachleg position to simultaneously move vall ofsaid cam-moving means when one of the latter is moved by one of said Vmanually operable means.

8.y In a folding table the combination of a table top; aplurality of legs; means forhinging the legs-on-the table topV for movement-to and frorn'extended position;

Ameans Vfor interconnecting the legs for simultaneous 5 movement of all byone; acam on said table, one for each'leg, operativewhen-the leg is in extended position to lock the'leg against movementthereof; means for each legforfr'eleasing hsaid( cam;and means independent of the meansffor movingthe legsv for connecting said releasing means for simultaneous movement of all by one.

9. The invention as dened in claim 8, in which the leg-interconnecting means includes pairs of rotatable engaging toothed members operatively connected to each other and said legs.

l0. The invention as defined in claim 8, in which the leg is provided with a pin to coact with said cam to lock the leg against movement.

ll. The invention as `defined in claim l, in which the cam is mounted for movement in a plane perpendicular t-o the table top and in its locking position lies substantially normal to the path of movement of the pin on the leg to prevent movement of the leg about its hinge connection.

12. Leg hardware for a folding table including a bracket member for attachment to the corner of the table having a horizontal and vertical flange; means attachable to the leg for pivotally mounting the leg for movement about the horizontal ilange including hinge means and a vertically disposed plate carrying a pin; a cam on said vertical ilange; and a resilient means urging said cam into engagement with the lug to prevent movement of the leg-attaching means.

13. Leg hardware for a folding table including a bracket member for attachment to the corner of the table having a horizontal and vertical flange; means attachable to the leg for pivotally mounting the leg for movement about the horizontal flange including hinge means and a vertically disposed plate carrying a pin; a cam on said vertical ange; a resilient means urging said cam into engagement with the pin to prevent movement of the leg-attaching means; and a manually operable lever carried by the horizontal bracket for actuating said cam to unlock the leg-attaching means.

14. Leg hardware for a folding table including a bracket member for attachment to the corner of the table and having a horizontal and a vertical flange; leg-attaching means pivotally mounted on the horizontal ange including hinge means and a vertically disposed plate carrying a pin; a cam on said vertical ange having a straight-edge portion and an intersecting curved camming surface; and a resilient means urging said camming surfaces -into the path of the pin to coact rst with the straight-edge portion to retract the cam, then the curved surface to allow the latter to engage the pin and prevent movement of the leg-attaching means when the pin is in engagement with said curved camming surface.

l5. Leg hardware for a folding table including a bracket member for attachment to the corner of the table and having a horizontal and a vertical ange; leg-attaching means pivotally mounted on the horizontal llange including hinge means and a vertically disposed plate carrying a pin; a cam on said vertical ange having a straightedge portion and an intersecting curved camming sur` face; a resilient means urging said camming surfaces into the path of the pin to coact rst with the straight-edge portion to retract the cam, then the curved surface to allow the latter to engage the pin and prevent movement of the leg-attaching means when the pin is in engagement with said curved camming surface; and a manually operable lever carried by the horizontal bracket for actuating said cam to unlock the leg-attaching means.

16. In a folding table the combination of a table top; a plurality of legs; means including hinges for attaching the legs to the table top for movement to and from extended and retracted positions; means for conjointly moving all of said legs by one including pairs of interengaging rotatable toothed members associated with each of said legs, one of each of said pairs of toothed members connected to its associated leg for movement therewith; and means interconnecting each of the other of said pairs of toothed members whereby movement of one of said legs will simultaneously rotate all of said rotatable members and move all of the other legs conjointly.

17. In a`folding table the combination of a table top; a plurality of legs; means including hinges for attaching Vthe legs to thetabl'e top for movement to and from extended and retracted positions; means for conjointly moving all of said legs by one'including pairs of interengaging rotatable Vtoothed members associated with v each of said legs, one of each of said pairs of toothed 'members rotatable about a horizontal pivot and con- References'4 Cited in the le of this patent vUNITED STATES PATENTS p 2,077,701 Kovats Apr. 20, 1937 2,093,891 Kovats Sept. 2l, 1937 2,107,572 Kovats Feb. 8, 1938 2,128,465 Kovats Aug. 30, 1938 2,518,783 Hiser Aug. 15, 1950 

